- Internships can lead to full-time job offers, especially in companies like PWC, where 90% of interns receive offers post-internship.
- To stand out, act like a full-time employee, demonstrate adaptability, and seize opportunities to learn during your internship.
- Networking with colleagues is crucial; building connections can lead to job recommendations even if an offer isn't immediate.
Completing an internship during your studies can be a great step-up into the world of full-time work. You’ll get to spend time inside a real company, put your newly acquired skills into practice, and network with professionals. But for anyone embarking on a summer internship, the question always remains: will they offer me a full-time job afterwards?
Getting a job offer after an internship is more likely in some industries and companies than others. For example, professional services company PwC says that 90% of their interns get job offers afterwards, but you’ll have to go through a competitive process to get an internship in the first place.
In Europe, on average, around 40% of students have completed an internship since entering higher education, with the highest percentages in Estonia and France. Among students attending the top ten universities in the UK, the figure is 19%.
So, if you’re lucky enough to land a competitive summer internship, you might feel some pressure to perform well and try to land a full-time job offer at the end of it. But how do you manage that?
Along with tips on making the most of your internship, we’ve also gathered tips from students on finding internships at university.
How to Turn a Summer Internship into a Job Offer
1. Act like a full-time employee
It sounds deceptively simple: just act like a full-time employee in your full-time internship. Easy! But it’s more than just turning up each day and being diligent with your work.
During an internship, it can be difficult to overcome the ‘intern’ label. Whether you’ve been loaded with all the admin tasks (or coffee runs) or you’re actually being involved in interesting projects, you’re still just an ‘intern’—someone who’s here for a short time before the move-in.
If you see yourself as just an intern, someone who doesn’t need to make long-term impacts in an organisation, you might not be inclined to make the effort that full-time employees make. Instead, stand out from other ‘temporary’ employees by going the extra mile and showing curiosity about long-term projects.
Show your colleagues that you’re someone they can depend upon, regardless of whether you’re ‘just an intern’.
2. Be ready to work in any team
When you apply to a summer internship, you don’t always get a first pick of where you’re placed in an organisation. Although you may have specified a particular business area – say, marketing or sales – you don’t always know where you’re going to be placed until day one.
With that in mind, be ready to let go of expectations when you join your organisation. Sulking because you didn’t get a placement in your preferred department isn’t a good look!
Wherever you land and whichever projects you’re involved in, see it as an opportunity to get new insights into the working of an organisation. You’ll get to talk to professionals you might not have met otherwise, while understanding all the different facets of a business can be a real asset to any professional.
It helps to show flexibility. During this time, you can prove to your employer that you can work in many different areas and stay adaptable to different circumstances.
💡 If you really dislike the business area you’ve been placed in, or you have problems with your colleagues, bring them up with the internship coordinator.
3. Make connections with other people in the company
On a summer internship, you’re granted an incredible opportunity to network with people from every side of a business.
This networking doesn’t just happen when you’re working on projects with your team. Whether you’re in the queue for lunch, see a colleague while popping out for a lunchtime treat, or get chatting with colleagues in the lift, there are plenty of opportunities to network during your internship.
Making connections in your company ensures that you’re remembered even after you’ve left. If a job offer doesn’t come at the end of your internship (maybe because there are no openings at the time), there’s a good chance someone will remember your name in the future and recommend you when the time comes.
💡 Speaking to a variety of employees is a great way to figure out if this company is somewhere you want to work.
4. Be proactive and ask questions
In a full-time hire, organisations aren’t necessarily looking for someone who knows everything on day one. Curiosity can get you a long way.
For many organisations, it’s far more important to find someone who is interested in the company and how it works, and who wants to learn more to do their job better.
So, ask questions. You don’t need to grill everyone, but show that you want to know more than you already do and, more importantly, that you’re comfortable showing you don’t know everything.
Similarly, try to be proactive in finding tasks. If you can see the value in doing something in a new way, speak to a colleague and tell them what you’re thinking. If you’ve been given the freedom to perform tasks how you see fit, take advantage of that and be creative.
5. Admit when you’ve done something wrong
Everyone makes mistakes in a new job; there’s no reason to be fearful if you do something wrong during your internship. However, you can build a good relationship with your employer if you’re honest about what you’ve done wrong.
More important than that, though, is how you respond after admitting you’ve made a mistake. For many people, the thought of doing something wrong again is enough to stop them from trying at a job, or even doing basic tasks they know they won’t get wrong.
Instead, see your mistake as an opportunity to show your adaptability and perseverance. Learn exactly why it went wrong. Complete the task again so you can re-enact the problem and the right solution.
💡 Be honest about any skill deficiencies and ask for help when you need it. An internship is an opportunity to get hands-on with things, even if it’s a topic or task you’re not as familiar with.
6. See each task as an opportunity to learn something new
Organisations are increasingly seeing the necessity of upskilling employees to prepare for the future of work. The jobs we’re doing now may not be the jobs we’re doing in 5 or 10 years time, so a willingness to learn new things is part and parcel of any job role now.
During your summer internship, you can demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning by being open to new experiences. Every time you have to tackle a problem you’re not sure about, you’ll learn something new about the industry you’re working in and your own capabilities.
Getting a full-time job offer is a sign that that organisation is interested in seeing how you grow in the long-term. So, demonstrate during your summer internship that you want to keep learning and solving new problems.
Student opinions on universities and summer internships
In their EDUopinions reviews, students frequently mention their internship experience, especially if it was an integrated part of their degree curriculum. But what do students say about these experiences? What should students be aware of when they look for internships alongside their course?
Here’s what real students are saying.
Check the intensity of your academic course before getting an internship
If you’re looking at doing internships during your studies—not a summer internship that takes place over the summer break—then you need to be aware of your total capacity for work.
Some universities have full-on timetables for studies, which impacts your ability to work part-time or take an internship on the side.
So, do your research on your course beforehand; otherwise, you may be disappointed when it turns out you can’t complete an internship during your studies.
Student Review – EDHEC Business School
Programme structure for BM Masters in EDHEC, Lille was great. We got a gap year between the two years to do two internships which allowed us to gain work experience during our masters.
Would definitely recommend.
Student Review – EMLV Business School
Overall, my time in the Grande École Program at EMLV has been very positive, especially due to its strong professional focus. The school’s location in La Défense is a massive advantage for building a network and securing internships or work-study contracts. I also highly appreciated the cross-functional projects with engineering and digital students, which offer a great preview of real corporate environments.
However, this dense curriculum comes with a downside: the workload and class schedules can sometimes be overwhelming and difficult to balance. Additionally, the administration can be quite rigid regarding organization.
Despite these organizational challenges, the academic and professional benefits make EMLV a great choice that I would definitely recommend.
Choose an Internship that Matches Your Studies for the best career prep
Although some students do use their internship experience to explore an area of work that they’re interested in outside of their study programme, your internship will be more impactful if it relates to what you’re learning.
In this case, an internship during your studies gives you an opportunity to start making use of all the skills you’ve learned. This practical experience has two benefits: it’ll help you make better learning connections in the classroom, and it will give you a better chance on the job market when you graduate, as you already have real experience.
Student Review – Clermont School of Business
I really appreciated the Business Intelligence program. I learned about the importance of data in business, particularly how to analyze, visualize and turn data into valuable insights to support decision-making. We also worked with Business Intelligence tools, which gave me practical skills that were very useful during my internship as a Business Analyst at a major pharmaceutical company.
What I felt was missing from the program were professional certifications that are recognized and valued by recruiters. I would also have preferred to work with more widely used tools such as Power BI or Tableau rather than MicroStrategy, even though the main principles and skills are transferable from one BI tool to another.
Student Review – NEOMA Business School
It was a great experience!
I really enjoyed my years at Neoma. It was very enriching, with many sports and charitable associations.
This gives us the opportunity to complete several internships as well as international exchanges, which facilitates entry into working life afterwards.
I highly recommend this school.
Student Review – ESCP Business School
I highly recommend ESCP to anyone who is smart, driven, and wants to work in an international environment. First, top companies regularly recruit from ESCP which allowed to land an internship which transitioned to a full -time role. Second, I was able to study at two campuses (Paris and Berlin) and because of this I received a diploma from both countries which made applying for visas much more straight forward. Finally, it was insipidity to work with other like minded students and I made connections that will last the entirety of my professional career. If you want go to a top school and study in multiple countries, ESCP is the place to go!
Check if your Institution’s Careers Centre Can Help Organise Internships
Your university’s Careers Centre can be a great help when looking for internship opportunities. A helpful careers department might be able to help you find internships or help with the application and interview processes by running careers workshops.
Many universities have partnerships with organisations and companies that run internship programmes, which can make it easier to navigate the competitive process and submit a strong internship application.
Outside of institution partnerships, a Careers Centre may also be able to help you find internships by sending lists of open internship opportunities or connecting you with alumni in the same industry.
Student Review – MIB Trieste School of Management
My experience at MIB – Master International Business was highly rewarding, both personally and professionally. I would like to highlight the excellent organization of the program, the professionalism of the faculty and staff, the quality of the participants, and the wonderful environment provided by both the university and the beautiful city of Trieste.
From an academic perspective, the courses were well structured and clearly delivered. However, considering my previous professional background in international trade, I found that most of the content covered fundamental concepts. In my opinion, the program could be further strengthened by placing greater emphasis on technical topics related to tariff and non-tariff trade regulations, complementing its strong focus on socio-economic aspects.
One of the greatest benefits of the program was the opportunity to improve my English, expand my international network, and connect with Italian companies. I believe that the internship is, without question, the most valuable component of the entire five-month program. My recommendation for future participants would be to identify and establish contact with potential host companies before arriving in Italy, so they can make the most of the university’s network and support in securing an internship aligned with their professional goals.
Finally, I would especially like to acknowledge the value of this fully funded scholarship. Having all major expenses covered made it possible for me to pursue an international educational experience that otherwise would not have been financially accessible. For that reason, I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, which has had a lasting impact on both my personal and professional development.
Student Review – South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences
South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences offers a highly practical approach to education, making it a strong choice for students who want to develop industry-relevant skills. The curriculum combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on projects, laboratory work, and real-world case studies that prepare students for professional careers. Close collaboration with companies provides valuable opportunities for internships, applied research, and networking. Many courses emphasize teamwork and problem-solving, helping students build competencies that employers value. The university’s modern facilities and experienced faculty further support a practice-oriented learning environment. Overall, it is an excellent option for students seeking an education that bridges academic learning with practical application and career readiness.
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